Seminars about local tourism to start soon

A SERIES of free webinars about the future of tourism along the Great Ocean Road will start next week.

The Great Ocean Road Communities Network (GORCN) has organised the five-part Tourism Reimagined and the Great Ocean Road series.

Originally announced in October last year, the webinars will feature national and international expert speakers.

“The series explores the opportunities for shifting from an unsustainable ‘industrial’ tourism model based on increasing visitor numbers to a regenerative one that will enhance tourists’ experiences while it sustains our region’s character and its communities,” GORCN’s Charlotte Allen said.

The five webinars will be:

• The Tourism Model We Have Monday, February 24 – does the current extractive growth-centred tourism model work? – featuring Conscious.Travel managing director Anna Pollock and Kennett River Association president Corrina Dichiera
• Resilient Tourism, Principles and Practice on Thursday, February 27 – what can we learn from places that are now implementing restorative and regenerative tourism in practice? – featuring The Tourism CoLab managing director Dr Dianne Dredge and Wildlife Wonders chief executive officer Lizzie Corke
• Great Ocean Road Tourism Reimagined on March 3 – what is tourism doing along the Great Ocean Road and what would it take for it to be a world exemplar of resilient tourism? – featuring Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism general manager Liz Prize and Budji Bim Cultural Landscape acting manager Joey Saunders
• From Tourism Policy to Practice, Government Agencies Speak on March 12 – how do public agencies align with each other and with communities on the Great Ocean Road, as they develop and implement their tourism policies and action plans? – featuring Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) regional director for Barwon South West Ruth Caldwell, Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority (GORCAPA) CEO Jodie Sizer and representatives from the Surf Coast Shire, Colac Otway Shire and Corangamite Shire, and
• From Rhetoric to Action on March 19- how do we collaborate to overcome blockages to sustainable and regenerative tourism practice? – featuring GORCN chair Dr Peter Christoff, The Tourism CoLab managing director Dr Dianne Dredge, DEECA regional director for Barwon South West Ruth Caldwell, GORCAPA CEO Jodie Sizer and representatives from the Surf Coast Shire, Colac Otway Shire and Corangamite Shire.

All sessions start at 4pm and will end at 5.30pm.

For more information, head to eventbrite.com.au/e/tourism-reimagined-and-the-great-ocean-road-tickets-1128350419479